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Once a date for surgery has been booked, we will provide you with:

  • A confirmation letter notifying you of date of surgery, time of admission, who the anaesthetist is for this list, and a follow up appointment date and time. The latter is usually arranged to allow appropriate timing of aftercare (such as removal of sutures), but may be changed if this does not suit, and our staff will advise of appropriate timeframes.
  • Informed financial consent – indicating any potential out of pocket expenses, if applicable.

We encourage all patients to:

  • contact their health fund (if applicable) to confirm eligibility for the proposed surgery
  • contact the anaesthetist’s rooms to obtain necessary pre-operative health questionnaires, and any other relevant information

PLEASE ENSURE YOU BRING ALL RELEVANT SCANS / X-RAYS WITH YOU TO HOSPITAL.

GENERAL PREPARATIONS PRIOR TO SURGERY

You can download a copy of this pre-operative care plan here.

To minimise the risk of problems during surgery or the recovery period, there are some simple things that you should be aware of:

smoking before ear nose throat surgerySMOKING:

Please do not smoke at least 4 weeks prior to surgery. Smoking increases risks of a general anaesthetic. It also affects wound healing and can predispose to bleeding, scar formation and infection. These risks are significantly higher with any airway surgery (surgery on the nose, oral cavity, pharynx, or larynx).

If you need help to stop smoking, you can talk to your pharmacist or general practitioner. Information is available at www.quitnow.gov.au, www.quitsa.org.au, or you can contact the Quitline on 13 7848.

CLOTTING DISORDERS:

Please inform your surgeon if you have a known bleeding or clotting disorder.

MEDICATIONS:

The following medications increase the risk of bleeding and should be avoided prior to surgery. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of medications. Some cold remedies may also contain aspirin, so please consult your pharmacist if you are unsure.

Nasal Decongestants

Decongestants such as Drixine, Sinex or Otrivin nasal sprays, or oral Sudafed should not be used for prolonged periods of time. Such use can lead to rebound congestion and increased bleeding risk during and after surgery.

Aspirinaspirin

Aspirin irreversibly inhibits platelet function and should NOT be taken at least 10 days prior to surgery (Alka-Seltzer, Aspalgin, Aspro Clear, Codis, Disprin).

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (other than aspirin) should not be taken for 5 days prior to surgery. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Celecoxib (Celebrex)
  • Diclofenac (Chemmart Diclofenac, Clonac, Dinac, Voltaren)
  • Etoricoxib (Arcoxia)
  • Ibuprofen (Nurofen, Advil, ACT-3, Brufen, Bugesic, Chemists Own Ibuprofen)
  • Indomethacin (Arthrexin)
  • Ketoprofen (Orudis, Oruvail)
  • Ketorolac (Toradol)
  • Meloxicam (Mobic)
  • Naproxen (Naprosyn, Anaprox, Chemists Own Period Pain Tablets, Crysanal)
  • Piroxicam (Chemmart Piroxicam, Feldene)
  • Sulindac

Anti-Depressants

These drugs have a mild inhibiting effect on platelet function. In many cases it can be detrimental to stop these medications abruptly, and you can safely continue their use leading up to surgery. However, please advise your surgeon if you are taking these:

  • Citalopram
  • Fluoxetine
  • Fluvoxamine
  • Paroxetine
  • Sertraline

Other Anti-Platelet Medications

  • Clopidogrel
  • Ticlopidine

Anti-Clotting Medication

  • Warfarin (Coumadin and Marevan)

Herbal Remedies

The following herbal medications can increase bleeding risk and should be avoided at least 7 days before surgery:

  • Garlic (in large amounts)
garlic
  • Ginkgo Biloba
ginkgo_biloba
  • Ginseng (Asian)
ginseng
  • Feverfew
feverfew
  • Ginger (not dried)
ginger
  • Saw Palmetto
palmetto
  • Willow bark
willow_bark

Other Supplements

The following supplements can also impact on blood clotting, and should be avoided for 7 days prior to surgery

  • Fish oil, in high doses
fish_oil
  • Vitamin E
vitamin_e

FASTING BEFORE SURGERY

It is important to fast before surgery, as during an anaesthetic, as muscles relax, stomach contents can reflux into the throat and be aspirated into the airway, causing serious complications.

FASTING FOR ADULTS:

No food or fluid (apart from water) for 6 hours before the operation – including chewing gum, lollies, sweets, and lozenges.

Water, up to 200 ml per hour, is allowable up to 2 hours before the operation.

FASTING FOR CHILDREN:

No food for 6 hours before the operation – this includes milk, formula, thickened fluids, chewing gum, and lozenges.

Water is allowed up to 2 hours before the operation.

Breast milk is allowable up to 4 hours before the operation, as it is broken down faster than substitutes.

Some children may be prescribed thickener for fluids due to swallowing problems, to reduce the risk of aspiration of fluid into the windpipe. Any thickened fluid (including water) is considered “food”, as stomach emptying is delayed and the thickener has to be digested. Anything containing thickener needs to be withheld for 6 hours before the operation.